Spring has sprung (or at least it is springing)! If you are a business owner or manager, you know that the season brings with it numerous opportunities to attract new customers, reinforce your brand and to be creative. Here are a few marketing ideas to get you in the mood and to help your business bloom.
Partner with a "green" charity to give back to the community and help it bloom. Collect funds, designate a portion of your sales to benefit an organization, sponsor new trees, etc. There are all kinds of environmentally-friendly causes that make it easy for you to help… and you’ll benefit from the publicity.
2. Create a theme that ties in to a spring sport in your area and offer discounts to local players and their families. Think about schools, extramural sports teams, college teams, booster clubs, etc. and go make sure the theme is really infused into your business for a pre-designated period of time. Make it an annual event to which people look forward and you’ve taken a step towards developing customer loyalty from year to year.
3. Have a "spring cleaning" event and give away sample cleaning supplies or some other perk related to readying the home for spring. Cleaning cloths or solutions, tip sheets, sponges, buckets, plastic gloves, etc., all make good giveaways. You can take it one step further and hold a draw to win a maid for a day. (I’d certainly stop in your shop!)
4. Encourage your employees to organize or participate in a “Community Spring Clean.” They can choose a local school or non-profit organization and spend a work day (on your dime) giving back to the community. The community benefits from the volunteerism, and your business benefits from the goodwill.
5. Partner with some complementary businesses and launch a “Spring Has Sprung Campaign.” Split the costs and share the resulting customers!
6. Give your social media, blog and website a spring cleaning as well. Make sure your information is up-to-date, links are operational, photos and artwork are current, and that there is consistency between the different platforms and services. Remember, everything done in the name of your business online impacts your brand and therefore, your business. Give it the same attention you would give a bricks and mortar storefront.
7. Host a cookout in your parking lot! It doesn’t need to be fancy; hot dogs and drinks will draw a crowd. Just make sure there is a coupon for a future visit in the hands of everyone as they leave. Give them an obvious reason to come back and spend money with you.
8. April showers bring May flowers. How about a “Don’t Rain on My Parade” promotion? Designate a week or month when, if it rain and customers come in and utter the phrase, they receive a discount on their immediate purchase or a future one.
9. Feel spring fever coming on? Great! Get up from the desk and away from the business and take advantage of some networking opportunities. Whether by attending organized events (chambers, networking groups, etc.), or scheduling individual meetings to learn more about another business owner in the area, you’ll benefit from making new contacts, strengthening existing ones, as well as from some extra vitamin D!
10. Beautify! Add some pizazz and pops of color to spruce up the curb appeal of your business. The more attractive it looks from the outside, the more likely customers will want to check out what’s inside (where, it goes without saying, you’ve already done your spring cleaning!).
